March 6, 2009 Mount Jackson, PA A 50-lb alligator was discovered by firefighters who responded to a fire alarm at a former school site. The alligator returned to its possessor and no charges were filed. Reptiles
March 6, 2009 Myrtle Beach, SC A man who kept a hyena in his backyard, in a chain-link pen with a dog house, was cited by police for owning and displaying a wild or exotic animal. Other
February 27, 2009 Hamilton County, TX A 300-lb Bengal tiger was rescued from a home near Waco and put in the care of the Humane Society of North Texas. The tiger was found living in unsafe conditions, underweight and infested with hookworms. Big Cats
February 19, 2009 Seattle, WA Ritkus, a male DeBrazza’s guenon, escaped from his exhibit at the Woodland Park Zoo and was free for about 45 minutes before being tranquilized and safely returned to his exhibit. Primates
February 19, 2009 Seneca, MO A grossly malnourished Bengal tiger and more than 208 sickly dogs were confiscated in a raid on J. B. Precious Puppies. More than 10 puppy carcasses were discovered, including two remnants in the tiger’s cage. The proprietor, a woman, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty — one for the dogs, the other for the tiger, which authorities said should have weighed more than 400 lbs for a tiger of his age and size. The 175-lb tiger was sedated and taken to a zoo in Springfield. In 2007, the woman had been fined $10,000 by the USDA and 127 animals were confiscated. But no charges were brought and so she resumed her unlicensed business. Big CatsOther
February 17, 2009 New Orleans, LA A man encountered a serval in his backyard. He called the police, and they arrived with zoo vet staff, who tranquilized the cat with a dart gun then captured him/her in a net. The cat was taken to the Audubon Zoothe as police tried to locate the owner. Small Cats
February 16, 2009 Stamford, CT Travis, a 15-year-old chimpanzee, savagely attacked his possessor’s friend outside her home, inflicting horrific life-threatening injuries. The possessor stabbed Travis with a large knife in attempt to rescue her friend. Travis then attacked a police officer. Travis was shot and died in his possessor’s home. Travis’ mother, Suzi, also went on a rampage in Missouri and was shot dead in 2001. Primates
February 15, 2009 St. Louis, MO Cinder, a 14-year-old chimpanzee at the St. Louis Zoo, died unexpectedly sometime Sunday. Zookeepers found Cinder collapsed on the floor and, despite efforts to resuscitate her, she died. Primates
February 13, 2009 Ypsilanti Township, MI A local man discovered a dead alligator in his yard after a recent thaw. Humane officials theorized that the alligator was released by a former possessor. Reptiles
February 11, 2009 Omaha, NB A veterinarian at the Henry Doorly Zoo was bitten by a sedated tiger and was in fair condition at Creighton University Medical Center. The zoo director theorized that the vet brushed against the tiger’s whiskers, setting off a reflexive action that resulted in a bite. Big Cats